HEMOBILIA - SONOGRAPHIC APPEARANCES IN THE GALLBLADDER AND BILIARY TREE WITH EMPHASIS ON INTRACHOLECYSTIC BLOOD

The purpose of this study is to discuss the causes and sonographic app earances of blood in the gallbladder and biliary tree. Over a 12 year period, 18 patients with hemobilia had ultrasonographic examinations a t one of three hospitals. Hemobilia was categorized as traumatic (50%) , spontaneous (28%), or inflammatory (22%), with coagulopathy present in half of the cases. The sonographic appearances of intracholecystic blood varied, but with the exception of a single case, masslike intrac holecystic material was present. Biliary dilatation occurred in five p atients, with echogenic material visible in the extrahepatic bile duct in three of these cases.